Elliott Smith: Either/Or [KILL ROCK STARS]

Why you'll love it

Either/Or is where Elliott Smith's songwriting came fully into focus. "Between the Bars," "Say Yes" and "Angeles" ended up in Good Will Hunting, which led to an Oscar nomination and a whole new audience.

This edition

• Single LP, 12 tracks
• Kill Rock Stars pressing
• Includes "Between the Bars," "Angeles" and "Say Yes"

About the album

Anyone miss Elliott Smith every single day? I know I do. Sigh.

After the gripping lo-fi indie-pop volleys that were 1994's Roman Candle and 1995's Elliott Smith, the singer/songwriter expanded his musical palette and his fidelity juuuust a little bit on 1997's Either/Or. And while it's always up for grabs which Elliott Smith album is the best Elliott Smith album (they're all fantastic, by the way), this one felt like the best one yet at the time.

In hindsight, too, you can see the elevated popcraft that would soon catch on with the fringes of the mainstream when Smith was gifted with bigger budgets and real studios on the major-label records XO and Figure 8 coming along quite nicely here. Indeed, it was indie director Gus Van Sant's adoption of several of the sadly beautiful pop tunes from Either/Or ("Between the Bars," "Say Yes" and the stunning "Angeles") for the Good Will Hunting soundtrack that would help pave the way towards his eventual deal with DreamWorks Records.

Also at Kops: more Elliott Smith on vinyl · browse Alternative

Tracklist

Listen

On Kill Rock Stars, first out in 1997.